An early Day 3 draft pick for the Denver Broncos during last month’s NFL draft, cornerback Damarri Mathis needs to clean up his techniques and reduce the number of penalties he commits in Year 1, according to general manager George Paton.
With sturdy secondary options in the CB room such as Patrick Surtain, Ronald Darby and K’Waun Wiliams manning the top three slots on the depth chart, Mathis’ much-needed improvement is a luxury, not a necessity.
Speaking about Mathis last month, Paton said, “He has all the tools to be a very good corner in this league. He needs to clean up some technique [issues]. He had too many penalties, but I think all his flaws are correctable. This guy is really, really, talented.”
Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero echoed that sentiment at rookie minicamp earlier this month.
“They’re very correctable,” Evero said when asked about Mathis’ college penalties. “We just have to be cautious about it. He has to be cautious about it. We have to constantly demand it. The scheme-change I think will help as well. He played so much ‘bump man’. That’s part of the game for everybody, not just Damarri but everyone has to adjust to the NFL game.”
Mathis totaled 17 penalties in his final two seasons at Pitt. The Broncos clearly believe the talent is there, but Mathis needs to clean his game up to become a reliable pro. Evero and Co. will aim to help him do so this summer.